Football tips: Our Watford v Tottenham 2 best bets for New Year's Day

*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change

Spurs will have envisioned a better points tally after 17 games of the season but have been aided by the appointment of a genuine world-class manager, while Watford’s year appears to have served one purpose and that’s finally getting shot of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

So, with the festive period finish line in sight for both these sides, here’s our pair of picks from tipster Andrew Cunneen and Paddy Power trader Emmet O’Keeffe.

Saturday, January 1: 3pm
Watford v Tottenham

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Antonio Conte

ANDREW CUNNEEN

Harry Kane to Score Two or More

Top strikers in world football produce consistently. But sometimes you have to alter your perception of what consistency is before you alter your perception of a player’s ability to achieve it. For example, Harry Kane has scored just four times this season in the Premier League.

But there is absolutely nothing to suggest he can’t net 15+ goals this year and all of a sudden, when scanning back over this career, you’ll be calling his 21/22 campaign another example of how he rarely failed to produce.

The one thing he does need to do, however, is to start scoring in chunks and I believe they’re coming. Scoring in each of his last two games, Kane has always been streaky and when he hits form, he’s unmarkable. This could easily be the case as Spurs make the short trip to what is essentially a junction en-route to Harry Potter land.

Given the Hornets have shipped multiple times in each of their last five league games, don’t be surprised to see them overrun here once more.

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EMMET O’KEEFFE

Tottenham to beat Watford

Tottenham will rightly be the staple of many a punter’s accumulators on New Year’s Day given Spurs’ improvement under Antonio Conte and Watford’s five-match losing run. Watford have had a tough run of fixtures but it was concerning how Claudio Ranieri’s side capitulated after going in front against West Ham on Tuesday.

Only Newcastle and Norwich have conceded more Expected Goals than Watford and this looks an ideal opportunity for Harry Kane to put himself back in the hunt for the Premier League’s top goalscorer race while Mo Salah is on African Nations Cup duty. Watford’s attack is severely diminished by Ismaila Sarr’s absence and it’s hard to see Tottenham’s much-improved defence being unduly tested. Spurs have conceded only 4 goals in Conte’s first 7 league matches in charge as the Italian has quickly organised a limited squad into a cohesive unit.